Posted on November 29th, 2022 by Elaine Davies
We recently offered a number of apprenticeship opportunities at Citizen and now have 19 apprentices working across our organisation!
Our Apprenticeship Scheme aims to encourage the progression of young people and supports talent development at Citizen.
The apprentices we have recruited are now working in our teams including carpentry, customer services, electricians, finance, painting and decorating, planning and plumbing.
Painter and Decorator Apprentice Toni-Leigh Chohan said she will achieve her City and Guilds qualification after three years.
She said: “I enjoy painting and decorating as its a skill I already have, but I’ve been working with other people across Citizen learning multiple trades such as plastering, carpentry, and plumbing, which I didn’t expect.
“What I have found challenging is getting into a routine and being in a working environment. It has been very different for me, from waking up in the morning to communicating with customers.
“I would like to say that an apprenticeship is like any other job, but it’s better in my eyes. For me a job at a desk is not a job for life. I’m a hands-on person and must experience different things every day and this apprenticeship gives me that. I’ve been treated well and its great experience for anyone who is at the start of their career.”
Plumber Apprentice Archie Tucker said his apprenticeship will take four years to complete and he will receive a Level 3 qualification in Plumbing and Gas.
He said: “ I’m really enjoying it so far. The experience is giving me new skills and I’m meeting loads of new people and facing challenges everyday, but we all help each other out to ensure we do our best in helping our customers.
“Once my apprenticeship is over, I would like to continue working for Citizen as a full time member of staff.”
Customer Service Apprentice Lucy Moreton is working on her Customer Service Specialist Level 3 apprenticeship which takes 18 months to complete.
She said: “So far, it’s been quite challenging as I’ve had a lot to learn but I’m enjoying it. My apprenticeship covers a wide range of skills including customer service culture and environment, customer journey knowledge, providing a positive customer experience, and customer insight and service improvement.
“I’ve had plenty of help from everyone within my team. I’d like to say a special thank you to my manager, Customer Service Team Leader, Katie Hillman and Senior Customer Service Advisor, Lydia Gibbs, for helping me and supporting me so far.
“Once I have finished my apprenticeship, I would like a full-time job within any aspect of customer services.”
Our Apprenticeship scheme is part of our Talent Management approach at Citizen. Talent Management is about attracting, retaining and developing skills. We will then utilise these skills in the most effective way.
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Posted on November 23rd, 2022 by Elaine Davies
Care leavers who live in Citizen homes have been commended at a prestigious award ceremony.
The Care Leavers Awards celebrate people between the ages of 16 and 18 who have completed training, in skills such as budgeting, have successfully sustained their tenancies with us and are now in employment or education.
There were also special award categories throughout the night including the Future Leader Award and the Sports Hero award.
All of the people who won awards are part of the House Project – a scheme in which we have partnered with Coventry City Council to identify suitable one-bedroom properties for care leavers to move into.
The project is a 12-month training programme with the council, where the young care leavers learn various skills and move into one of our homes at the six month point to learn how to sustain a tenancy.
As part of the project, we offer a range of support through our Neighbourhoods and Tenancy Sustainment teams to help young people understand how to manage their tenancy successfully, offering advice and support on education and getting them into employment.
This ceremony marked the graduation of the first group of young people to take part in the training programme.
Our Neighbourhood Manager Carrie Gilbert said: “The awards ceremony was so inspiring. The 10 young people we have supported within this first cohort are incredible!
“Cohort one graduated as part of the awards ceremony and were all invited to the stage to receive an award. The whole group were successful in completing the training programme which meant they all graduated – it was such a proud moment for us all in the Neighbourhoods team!”
Carrie added all participants successfully sustained their tenancies and are all either in work or education and have clear aspirations for their future.
She said: “Two of the cohort co-presented the awards. They spoke clearly, they were really passionate, and it was so lovely to see. One member of the cohort even sang at the end of the awards ceremony!
“A couple of them are representing care leavers on a national basis as part of the care leavers national movement, which is fantastic.
“All of the young people from this first cohort are brilliant, they have clear aspirations for their future, they are all building lovely homes and are all working towards either employment or training.
“There’s a big opportunity for us to take this project even further and we’re working with Coventry City Council to develop ways that we can get involved in the process earlier to offer even more support. This time next year we plan to have even more involvement in the graduation and awards ceremony too!”
Operational Lead in Children’s Social Care at Coventry City Council Natasha Stirling said: “The awards were a wonderful celebration of the achievements of our first cohort. The partnership we have with Citizen on this project is invaluable.
“The support Citizen is giving as part of this project is fantastic! Not only are homes being provided but there is a holistic approach to supporting these young care leavers to help them maintain their tenancies and to teach them how to run a home. We look forward to continuing to work closely with Citizen as we develop and enhance the Care Leavers Project”.
Cabinet Member for Children and Young People at Coventry City Council Councillor Patricia Seaman said: “The Care Leaver Awards are a wonderful night where we celebrate the fantastic achievements of some of our city’s amazing young people and their many successes.
“They are only just starting out in life, but they have already accomplished so much in their young lives. Many have overcome significant obstacles and celebrated personal achievements; others have earned success in exams and work and celebrated those.
“They all have amazing stories and this is just our little way of saying ‘well done’ and to let them know how proud we all are, as well as recognising the hard work of those who have helped them on their way. We are so dedicated to giving our city’s young people the best start in life.
“Congratulations to everyone, to those who won awards and all our care leavers who have shown such courage and determination and achieved so much.”
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Posted on November 21st, 2022 by Elaine Davies
We are partnering with Enrok Construction to build 19 affordable homes on the site of a former garden centre in Birmingham.
The project will see four one-bed apartments, 11 two-bed houses and four three-bed houses built on the former Hirons Garden Centre in Wellington Road, Handsworth.
It will provide homes for up to 72 customers, which is part of our mission at Citizen to provide homes that are a foundation for life.
Our Executive Director of Development Nick Byrne said: “We are pleased to be working with Enrok Construction on this 19-home development in Handsworth.
“The scheme is 100 percent affordable which means it will help with the demand for affordable housing in the area.
“At Citizen we want to provide good quality, affordable homes and we have partnered with Enrok who share our values as an organisation.
“We are looking forward to seeing the scheme develop over the next year.”
This will be the first affordable home project for Derbyshire based company, Enrok.
MCIOB, Operations Director at Enrok Simon Bennett said: “As part of significant growth at Enrok and a strategic re-alignment within the business, we are excited to be launching our first project in the affordable rental sector.
“We have significant in-house experience having delivered hundreds of units as individual team members over the last 15 years and I have no doubt as to the future success of the scheme.”
Work is expected to start on the site in December 2022 and it is expected to be completed in late 2023.
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Posted on November 8th, 2022 by Elaine Davies
We’re delighted to be sponsoring the Coventrians under-13 football team.
They have been together for six years and are managed by our Operations Coordinator (Programmed Works) Kaf Connaghan. The team are part of the Warwickshire Youth League.
We contributed £700 from our Citizen Local Fund which has paid for a new kit for the whole team.
Although based at Holbrook Lane Park, the team train at Colliery every Friday and play matches every Sunday. It’s a mixed team currently made up of one girl and 13 boys, and some are Citizen customers.
“I thought I’d approach Citizen as I know there is a Citizen Local Fund. I couldn’t believe it when I was told Citizen would sponsor us. It’s amazing!”
Kaf added that if they didn’t have this funding the worst-case scenario would have meant that 14 out of the 16 team members would have had to wear the old and smaller kit from last year.
Kaf added: “Nike design the kits for the league and we’re the first team to have their new design. To have secured this sponsorship too is the cherry on top.
“The sponsorship means I can dedicate more time to the children and focus on the actual football rather than spend time fundraising and thinking of fresh fundraising ideas. It’s very time consuming to fundraise, and we still weren’t hitting the amount needed, so the sponsorship of the team means so much to us all. We’re so proud to have Citizen sponsoring the kit and we’re extremely grateful!”.
We wish the team every success this season.
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Posted on November 3rd, 2022 by Elaine Davies
Our Spirit Quarters scheme in Coventry has been shortlisted for Regeneration Project of the Year at the Insider West Midlands Property Awards.
The awards celebrate housing and commercial property successes from the last year.
Our Spirit Quarters development is based on estates in Wood End, Henley Green and Manor Farm. It had become some of Northeast Coventry’s most deprived districts with poor quality housing and derelict properties.
Over the past 15 years, we have worked with Keepmoat, Moat Community Trust and Coventry City Council to regenerate the area and bring pride back into the community.
Four phases of regeneration have been completed and in 2022 we started work on the fifth phase of the development and this will see us reach the 1,000-home landmark.
So far, the completion of phases one to four has delivered 979 new homes, 275 of which were built for Citizen.
Our Director of Regeneration Kevin Roach said: “We are delighted that Spirit Quarters has been shortlisted for Best Regeneration Project of the Year award at the Insider West Midlands Property Awards!
“Work on Spirit Quarters has been taking place for several years and we have worked very closely with the community, who have taken a lead role in achieving the transformation that has taken place to date. But it’s not just houses that have been built in the area, the community has been invested in too.
“Parks and green open spaces have been created, retained homes have undergone major improvements and apprenticeship and employment opportunities have been generated as well.
“We’ve got our fingers crossed for the ceremony later this month.”
Charlotte Goode, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat said: “It’s brilliant to see our Spirit Quarters development in the running for this award.
“We have been working with Citizen on the scheme for several years, and in that time we have been able to help transform the area and are proud of what we have achieved for the community.
“The awards is set to be a brilliant night and we look forward to attending with our fellow nominees.”
The ceremony takes place on Thursday 17 November at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
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